Sweet Like Cotton Candy
by sincerelymendacious
Summary: Crystal invites Franke up to her apartment after a date. That's where things get...awkward.


This was a request made by my friend Ash! They wanted some Franke/Crystal!

* * *

"I don't think that I've ever eaten that much shrimp in one night," Franke declared as she walked hand-in-hand with Crystal down the rain-slick street. She considered the matter for a moment, thinking back to all of the other times that she had consumed a large quantity of shellfish, and then decided that yes, this was the highest amount she'd ever had in a single setting. "Yeah, that was definitely the most." She nodded to herself, satisfied with the assessment.

Crystal giggled, the sound of it all the sweeter against the background of honking cars, screeching asphalt, and the heavy footsteps of other pedestrians. "I think you really impressed the chef," she said, smiling up at Franke in a way that made her dimples stand out cutely. "You even got one that he threw at the guy sitting next to you." She squeezed Franke's hand, the sensation tingling up her arm. "I think you might be the best shrimp catcher ever!"

Franke grinned, pride swelling in her chest. "Well, I wouldn't say that I'm the best," she said, wanting to impress Crystal further with her modesty. "Like, nobody's ever given me an official title or anything, but I'm definitely in the top ten."

"Top five," Crystal was quick to correct. She swung her arm forward and back, taking Franke's along with it. "If they made shrimp catching an Olympic sport, you would definitely take home the gold!"

Franke's face became redder than it already was from the chilly air as she watched the other girl. Crystal was always pretty, but she looked especially good tonight. Her hair, newly dyed cotton-candy pink, was teased into curls that framed her round face appealingly, and the soft, subtle make-up look she wore was a good match for her rose-patterned dress and cream cardigan. "You look super-good tonight!" Franke said the instant before she remembered that she had already told Crystal this three other times at the Japanese Steakhouse they had departed.

That didn't seem to bother Crystal, since she reacted to the compliment the same way she had previously. "Oh," she said, a pink the same shade as her hair blooming across cheeks. "Thanks Franke!" She flicked a hand through her hair, an action that would have looked cocky had anyone else performed it but just looked adorable when Crystal did it. "You look really good too," she replied shyly.

Franke knew that. She had coordinated her outfit to be the ultimate fall ensemble- a gold cable knit sweater and copper-corduroy slacks under an earth-toned button-up wool jacket that matched her boots- but hearing Crystal say that out loud put an extra bounce in her step. "Man, we both look Ah-Mazing!" she yelled, not caring who heard her. "We're like, the hottest couple ever!" She nudged Crystal with her elbow and gestured at the line of passing cars. "Check it out! We're so awesome that people are slowing down to stare at us!"

"I think it's because there's a stop sign over there," Crystal pointed out.

Franke was disappointed to see that Crystal was right. "Oh well. We're still a pair of super-hot babes walking down Portsmouth Avenue! Anyone who sees us is probably thinking 'woah, I wish me and my girl were that cool!'"

Again Crystal laughed, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. "God, Franke, you're so funny!" she said once her giggles subsided. "I have so much fun when I'm with you!"

Warmth flooded Franke's whole body, and she felt like she was walking on air. She then realized that she was, as both of her feet had lifted about an inch over the sidewalk. "Yeah," she said as she made an effort to ground herself. "I'm totally having a blast with you, too." She had been on three other dates with Crystal, each one of them near flawless. It was a new record for Franke, since she usually did something stupid to mess everything up by this point.

Crystal looked at Franke for a moment quietly, looking unsure of what to say next. Then she cut her gaze away. "It's...kind of a shame that it's almost over," she said, her eyes fixed on the sidewalk. Crystal's apartment building was not far from where they currently were, visible from the crosswalk they had stopped at.

"Dang," Franke said, surprised that they were already this close to where they would have to part. "That kind of sucks."

Crystal opened her mouth to say something more, but then closed it and made a noise of agreement instead. They crossed the street in silence the mood dampened by the date's rapidly approaching end. Franke thought about asking Crystal if she wanted to go somewhere else, but she couldn't think of where. They had just eaten, which ruled out another restaurant, the movie theater was all the way on the other side of town, and neither of them were old enough to legally drink. Was Crystal into roller-skating or bowling? _But who wants to do that stuff after eating a big meal?_

Franke could not think of any way of further extending the date by the time she and Crystal arrived at their final stop, so she resigned herself to saying goodbye. _Oh well. Least I get to kiss her._ She set her hands on Crystal's shoulders (they were hella strong for someone who looked so soft and cuddly) and then moved just close enough so that their lips met. Franke felt herself melt the moment her mouth touched Crystal's, and it was not long before she pressed herself deeper into the kiss. Crystal reciprocated fully, sliding her arms around Franke's neck to pull her closer and hold her tightly.

What was supposed to be a quick goodbye peck nearly became a full-blown make-out right in the open. Crystal parted from Franke before things could progress that far, sighing with audible regret as she untangled herself and took a step back. "Goodnight," she said breathlessly, her cheeks flushed. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Franke replied, her head swimming pleasantly from even that small bit of mouth to mouth contact. She gave a small wave, suspecting that she was smiling in a way that made her look dopey and not caring one bit. "I'll see you later, Crystal." She turned to go, but then spun on her heel, feeling the need to add something to her farewell. "You're a rad chick, Crystal. Like, the raddest, most fun girl I've known since...ever!"

Crystal blinked, appearing surprised that anyone would say such a thing about her. Which made no sense to Franke. She and Crystal had not always been close (Franke was ashamed to admit that she'd used to make fun of her and Clem, but they had reconciled long ago), but she'd been quick to realize how cool a person Crystal was once they'd gotten to know each other. Surely other people could see that as well?

"You're really cool too, Franke," Crystal said, smiling warmly. "Um…" She looked to the door of her building, then back at Franke. "Actually, I was wondering…" She trailed off, staring down at her shoes, her fingers toying with her sleeve. Franke looked down at Crystal's shoes too, admiring the neat white bow stuck to the toe of the comfortable pink flats. "Do you want to come up for a bit?"

Franke's head snapped up. "Yes!" she yelled, blurting the answer out in a manner that made her sound like an over-eager child. "I mean," she cleared her throat, "Yeah, that sounds like...something I want to do."

"Great!" Crystal grasped Franke by the hand and then rushed into the building, taking Franke along with her. They ran all the way up to the third floor where Crystal's apartment was located, their feet treading loudly on the creaky, wooden steps. Irritated thoughts from the other tenants passed into Franke's head, but she barely registered them, only caring about getting to where Crystal was taking her. She stumbled once, but Crystal turned back and caught her before her face could hit the stairs. "You okay?" Crystal asked. Franke could only nod. "Good." Crystal leaned forward and kissed her on the check. "We're almost there."

The two made it there without further incident, bursting into Crystal's apartment as though there were some urgent matter that they needed to attend to. Though really, there wasn't; in fact, Franke wasn't exactly sure what they were about to do. Neither, it seemed, was Crystal, who was staring at Franke with a wide-eyed look, her previous excitement having been transformed into a strange nervousness. "Um," she said, her eyes flickering all over the still dark room until they fell upon a nearby light switch. "So," she said as she reached back to flip it on.

"Yeah," Franke replied smoothly, blinking at the sudden illumination. The kitchen was to the immediate right of the entrance, with Crystal's fridge directly in Franke's line of vision. The sight of it gave Franke an idea of how to offset the awkwardness that had inexplicably inserted itself into the atmosphere between the two of them. "You want something to drink?"

"Ah, yeah." Crystal's shoulder relaxed just a tad. "That sounds good."

"Cool." Franke was halfway to the fridge before she remembered that they were in Crystal's home, not hers, and that she had no idea what beverages Crystal had on hand. She could not, however, stop in the middle of the kitchen without without appearing foolish, so she preceded the rest of the way to the fridge without breaking her stride._ Maybe I can mix her up a drink! That would really impress her!_

"Oh, Franke!" Crystal said as Franke opened the fridge and examined its contents. "You don't have to do that! You're my guest!"

"No, I got it," Franke insisted as she grabbed a two-liter of Sprite. "I wanna make you a drink." She waved her arm over in the direction of Crystal's couch. "You go sit, I'll be done soon." With some hesitation, Crystal did, though not before setting down two juice glasses on the counter for Franke.

Crystal did not have any alcohol, but Franke was able to make a decent mocktail with the cranberry juice and Sprite. As she mixed, music began to play on the stereo in the living room; a soft, eighties ballad that Franke was unfamiliar with. She brought the drinks out to Crystal, handing her the drink as she sat down. "To being super, hella-gay," Franke said, raising her glass.

Crystal giggled, clicking her glass with Franke's and then taking a sip, her eyes widening in surprise as it hit her tongue. "Oh wow, this is really good!"

Franke shrugged, knowing that it wasn't her best, but happy enough with how it turned out. "It's alright. But I can make a mean Strawberry Pina Fauxlada when I've got the right stuff!" She leaned back against the cushions and took another sip, enjoying the tart taste. "You should come over to my house sometime, I'll make you one!"

"Oh, I'd love that!" Crystal exclaimed, smiling broadly and bouncing a little in her seat. "I've been thinking about going to your place for so long!" The admission caused her to blush, though Franke didn't really get why( not that it bothered her- pink was definitely Crystal's color). "Was that a weird thing to say? I'm sorry if that was weird."

Franke shook her head. "Nah, that's not weird. I wanted to invite you over tonight, but my housemate is there with her girlfriend."

Crystal's blush somehow deepened to a darker pink similar in shade to the throw pillows adorning her couch. "We should definitely go to your house some other time," she said, her tone somewhere on the border of excited and nervous. "But I'm glad...you're here with me right now." She swirled her drink idly, watching as the liquid inside of it moved.

Franke's face heated up a little. "Y-yeah," she agreed, rubbing the back of her neck. By this point she thought she had figured out Crystal's motives in inviting her up to her apartment- she wasn't completely oblivious-but she wasn't really sure about what exactly she should do about it. Taking the initiative wasn't really Franke's forte when it came to this sort of thing, and besides, it seemed like Crystal wanted to take the lead anyway, even if she seemed a bit shy at this moment. _I'll just give her a minute. Maybe she's not sure she's ready...hell, am I, even?_

Silence descended between the two of them, not so awkward as to be unpleasant, but accompanied by an uncertainty that seemed to be growing with every passing second. To distract herself, Franke sent her gaze around Crystal's living room, taking in the soft, feminine decor. A large tapestry hung over a window instead of curtains at the far end of the room, one that featured a round orange sun against a pink sky setting behind two purple mountains, a blue grid at the base. "That's a cool blanket," Franke said, nodding her head in its direction.

"Huh?" Crystal turned her head towards the window. "Oh, that!" Crystal said, laughing like she had momentarily forgotten its existence. "Thanks! I think I got it the last time I went to the beach. It's usually in my room, but I had to move it out here because my curtains got burned up."

Franke would have choked had she been drinking anything when Crystal let that bit of information drop. "What?" she asked, staring at Crystal in disbelief. "How did your curtains catch on fire?"

"Remember that big storm we had like, a month ago?" Franke nodded. "Well, the power went out here, and I had to light a bunch of candles, since I couldn't find my flashlight." Crystal pointed over to a little side table by the window. "I put one of the candles there. A big gust blew my window right open and then the curtains must have hit the candle, I guess." She shook her head, chuckling softly at the memory. "The fire spread quickly because they were made of lace. Thank God Phoebe was hanging out with me that night, because I fr-ea-ked out!"

"Jeez!" Franke slapped her palm to her head, sympathetic. "I probably would have, like, freaked the hell out too!"

"I'm lucky it wasn't worse. But yeah, that blanket's been up there for a month, since I keep forgetting I need new curtains whenever I go shopping." She smiled and brought the glass up to her mouth to take another sip.

When she pulled away, there remained a small, round bead of liquid on her glossy pink lips. "Um, Crystal," Franke said as she set her drink on the coffee table. "You've got something-" She cut herself off, bringing her thumb to Crystal's mouth, hearing the other girl softly gasp at the moment of contact. The sensations she felt as she wiped the drop away- softness, smoothness, and slickness- rocketed up from the pad of her thumb all the way up to her brain, clouding every thought but the desire to lean forward and see if Crystal's lips tasted as good as they felt.

She took Crystal's face between her hands, her fingers brushing against loose curls, and brought their mouths together. Softly, at first, a mere press of skin on skin- but even that was enough to send a pleasant shock straight down to Franke's toes. Distantly she heard the click of a glass being set on the table, before feeling Crystal slide forward on the couch, her hand snaking to the back of Franke's head.

Crystal slid her tongue into Franke's mouth, deepening the kiss as her fingers threaded through Franke's hair. Her nails scraped against a certain spot behind Franke's ear, eliciting a sound that sounded like a cross between a squeak and a gasp. They separated, both of them taking a breath of air before getting right back into it. Franke's hands fell to Crystal's waist, aiding Crystal as she thrust herself forward to seat herself in Franke's lap.

Crystal's body was flushed against Franke's, warmer than any blanket and softer than any pillow Franke had ever slept on. If she sat up a bit and leaned forward, Franke would be able to rest her head on Crystal's chest, feel the rise and fall of it as she breathed, hear the fluttering of her heartbeat, and taste the skin just above the collar of her dress. But Franke remained frozen, uncertainty having seized her again. Was that something Crystal would want her to do? Or did she want to be the one guiding things along? A look into the other girl's eyes gave Franke no insight as to what her next move should be. Her wide blue eyes conveyed a desire to go further, but the shyness at the edges of them revealed that she was just as unsure and nervous as Franke was.

Crystal glanced down and looked at her hands, hovering just above Franke's chest. "Oh!" she said, her tone surprised, as though she had just noticed they were there. She jerked her hands away, putting them on her lap, where they immediately began fiddling with the fabric of her dress. "Ah, sorry!" A strained giggle escaped her mouth. "I didn't- you know- I didn't mean to get so aggressive there!"

Crystal definitely did not need to apologize for that in Franke's humble opinion, and she told the other girl as much. "You're good, really," she said, squeezing her hand, enjoying the feel of Crystal's hips. "I'm, uh, good to go as far as you want to go."

"Ah…" Crystal said, biting down on her lower lip. "You mean...you want to…" She made a vague gesture with her hands "You know…"

Franke blinked, surprised by Crystal's surprise. "I mean, isn't that why you invited me up?" she asked, swallowing.

Crystal's hands flew to her cheeks, the pink spreading all over her face. "Oh no!" she said, shaking her head. "I just wanted to hang out with you some more. I wasn't...expecting anything!"

Franke felt a pressure she had not previously been aware of lift off of her. "Oh," she said, some of the tension being released from her body.

Crystal slapped her forehead, no doubt having seen Franke visibly relax. "Oh my God," she said, wincing and covering her face.. "You must have thought I was some kind of pervert!

Franke laughed, reaching up to pull Crystal's hands away. "Dude, it's fine," she said, kissing her softly on the cheek. "Like, it's not like I haven't thought about it," she admitted, a little embarrassed. "But...I don't really know what I'm doing." She ran a hand through her slightly mussed red hair. "I'm not the...I don't…"

Crystal thankfully interrupted her before she was forced to finish that sentence. "O-M-G! I don't know what I'm doing either!" she declared happily.

"Alright! Hi-Five!" Franke said, holding her hand up. Crystal slapped their palms together. "Three cheers for being clueless, am I right?"

Crystal laughed. "But um, seriously, Franke. I didn't mean to mislead you or anything," she said, caressing the side of Franke's face.

Franke leaned into the touch. "s'all good, babe. But, uh, what now?"

"Well…" Crystal looked at Franke in a way that made heat pool in her belly. "I definitely wouldn't mind if we kept on kissing...cuz I know I liked that."

Franke grinned, all for that idea. "Yeah! And, you know, maybe I could stay the night? Since it's like, super-late and all."

"That's a great idea, Franke!" Crystal replied, smacking her lips hard on Franke's. "We should watch a movie too! Have you ever seen Legally Blonde?"

Franke smiled and shook her head. She wasn't one for legal dramas, but she'd suffer through a boring movie if it meant cuddling with Crystal while she was watching it.


End file.
